


The Wardens Tale

by Petite_Halla (levithetitanguy)



Category: Dragon Age: Origins
Genre: F/M, Slow Build
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-02
Updated: 2016-08-04
Packaged: 2018-04-29 15:57:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,130
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5133496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/levithetitanguy/pseuds/Petite_Halla
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Au in which both brosca and aeducan are recruited in orzamar and have to stop the blight together.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One - Stones That Sparkle

Brosca hadn't known what to expect stepping out on the surface for the first time. She certainly wasn't expecting the sky to glitter like lyrium dust blown into the air. Rica would love it. She liked pretty things and the sky was certainly pretty; like Rica herself. Ancestors, she hoped she'd be safe. Beraht was dead but the carta always rebuilds itself. Brosca could only hope she wouldn't get caught up in that life again. Rica was smart. She'd keep safe. Leske on the other hand... That idiot would be in the carta's pocket by lunch tomorrow. Brosca scowled. _Happy_   _thoughts Natia, happy thoughts._  She wondered if the wardens would let her send something to Rica; a necklace maybe. Something with a stone that captured the sky.

"Does it always look like that?" She asked directing her gaze to the warden beside her. He hadn't given her his name. To be fair, she hadn't exactly asked.

He gaped down at her. "I'm sorry?"

She waved her hand up at the sky. "That. The big gaping abyss above our heads. Is it always like that? All..." she frowned trying to find the right descriptor. ", glittery" she decided.   

The warden chuckled softly. "No. It's only like that at night."

Brosca eyed the human warden not bothering to mask her scepticism. "Weird." She shrugged leaving the wardens side.

She wasn't the only recruit from Orzamar. Duncan had dragged her to the deep roads after pulling her from the grubby fingers of the guards. Wandering the deep roads with Duncan and his lot wasn't how she'd pictured meeting the Prince of Orzamar. All things considered the last week hadn't been anything close to what she'd pictured. To his credit Prince Duran Aeducan hadn't pulled the usual Diamond Quarter noble crap. She doubted she could have tolerated him otherwise. That said, he hadn't said two words since he stumbled out of some literal hole in the wall.

She glanced at him from across the camps fire. Duran stared up at the sky a mix of horror and awe plastered on his face. She snickered softly crossing the short distance between them. 

"Surface life not agreeing with you salroka?" She murmured just loud enough for him to hear. He flinched eyes snapping to her from where he sat. She offered him her best reassuring smile. "Try picturing it less like an endless gaping abyss and more like a really tall cave." she took a seat next to him. "There was this stone; really pretty. I've only ever seen doing...  _Runs..._  For the carta. Kinda looks like the sky. What was it called again?" She mused.

Duran shifted slightly. "Goldstone." His voice was a low rumble. It wasn't an unpleasant sound she decided.  

She let a grin spread across her face. "Yeah! That's the one." She nudged his arm gently. "Not so scary if you picture it as a big rock right?" Duran had gone back to staring up at the sky. There was less fear on his face she noted with a sense of satisfaction. He nodded slowly. "Wonder if the wardens would let me send something like it back to Rica. I think she'd get a kick out of owning her very own piece of sky." Natia tugged a a few strands that had loosed themselves from her pony tail. "Of course she might have an issue with mother trying to pawn it for coin." she sighed. She was rambling. Duran didn't seem to mind though. 

"Rica is your... Sister?" Duran ventured  cautiously. 

She beamed. "My older sister, yes. Ah, beautiful, wonderful Rica. She gave me everything.  I'd do just about anything for her." She paused. "I sort of got into this whole mess to protect her actually. The ancestors only know what Beraht would have done to her if I failed." she frowned.  "Well, I did fail... Should have got Leske to tie up the drunken idiot Beraht bet on. Luckily Rica was out when we got caught."

Duran fixed her with a confused look. He shook his head purging the question on his lips. "I'm envious of you." He said eventually. "My siblings... " He exhaled a short breath. "Trian was an ass at best. And Bhelin..." He ran a hand through his cropped hair. "I don't know." He threw his free hand up in defeat. "We were close once. Not so much now." 

Natia watched the sparks from the fire float up into the sky. "what'd he do?"

Duran fumbled with his fingers. "you mean apart from framing me for Trian's murder?" Bitterness hung on his tone. His face fell. "He exiled me to the deep roads and banished my best friend to the surface. He got sucked into politics."

"Dangerous." she whistled.

He snorted. "A truer descriptor could not be spoken."

 "Sorry 'bout your brothers and your friend.  That's got to suck. Royaly."

"I wish I could say Trian didn't deserve his fate. But honestly he was a real piece of work. Frankly I'm surprised he wasn't offed sooner. Gorim however. He deserved better." He eyed her with a determined frown.

"What?"

He rubbed the back of his neck. "It just occurred to me," Natia raised an eyebrow. "I have absolutely no idea who you are."

Natia burst out laughing. The loud brash sound drew the attention of a few nearby wardens. "Natia Brosca, your princeliness. Pleasure to meet you." She held a hand out. 

He took it offering a brief shake. "Brosca?" His green eyes crinkled around the edges trying to place her name. "Wait... You were the woman that disgraced my proving!" He laughed softly.

"That's me." She smiled.

"you fight well. Better than Evard did. What kind of idiot gets drunk before a fight?" Duran snorted.

"what kind of idiot decides it's a good idea to drunkenly stumble into the middle of said fight?"

"Evard appearantly." Duran moved to his feet slowly. "I should... It's been a long day" He gestured towards his tent. Natia nodded waving a farewell as Duran shuffled reluctantly from the warmth of the fire. "oh and Natia," He paused. ", It's just Duran. I'm no Prince."

"Right. Sleep tight your ex-princeliness." Duran sighed in defeat. Natia stretched before retiring to her own tent for the night.


	2. kings and fools

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a very late update. sry. ive had a severe lack of motivation.

The sunrise looked like opal, Duran decided. The sky still irked him but Natia's advice had helped if only a little. 

"just a really tall cave." he reminded himself. an extremely tall cave that changes all the time. his face set in a scowl. 

he hadn't expected brosca to approach him. the brand on her face, her revelation that she'd been a member of the carta. it was reason enough for her to avoid him, and yet... she'd talked his ear off until the sky felt less oppressive and acted like they'd been old friends. she baffled him.

he noticed her peek out of her tent curiously squinting at the light of day. her face lit up as her eyes adjusted. he could barely make out the shape of her mouth as she released about a dozen curses. he found himself snorting a laugh as she launched herself out of the tent. one of the wardens nearly tripping over her in her excitement. 

natia grinned offering greetings to any that crossed her path. she was quick on her feet duran observed. her steps measured, precise, and silent. he was certain if she felt like it she could vanish then and there even with everyone's eyes on her. the grin she shot him only cemented his belief in that.

_-_

they set off south after breakfast. duncan had told them they'd be joining the rest of the warden forces before completing the joining. natia had pressed for details to little avail. neither duncan nor the other wardens would say more of it than that it was a ritual that initiated wardens and made them immune to the taint.   
the thought of continued travel under the open sky still made Duran uneasy to an extent but it was a waning fear. he envied natia for her ability to accept the change so easily. she'd told him when he'd asked that nothing was certain amongst the casteless. that one day you could be the toughest blighter on the block and the next have a knife run through your ribs. you took what you got and made the best of it. she'd been dealt a hand that'd taken her to the surface and so had he. she wasn't nearly as comfortable on the surface as she made out but that was her bluff to make. or so she had said. natia was nothing if not particular in her wording. she seemed to breath in metaphors.

the most irritating of her habits however, was that she’d taken to calling him Nugs. how she’d come up with that nickname he couldn't begin to fathom. it was better at least, he mused than “your ex-princeliness”. all in all, her presence was a tolerable one on the two week journey to Ostagar.

_-_

The ruins of Ostagar were a welcome sight after the long trek from Orzammar. Duran had seen a fair deal less stone than he was used to and to see so much in one place was refreshing. 

Duncan had taken to explaining their position upon the first sighting. He mentioned the state of their forces, the potential of Orlesian forces joining them in the days to come. Brosca shot him a confused look halfway through a particularly long explanation. Duran shot her a reassuring smile back. This was familiar ground. He'd explain things later if she asked. She rolled her eyes and sighed. 

The warden camp was a flurry of excitement. Everyone seemed to have a place to be, constantly in motion. The other wardens had since scattered through the camp leaving them in the hands of duncan. 

Duncan led them towards the bridge to the main camp explanations of their current situation still on his lips. Duran had fallen into silence as they moved on finding little to say or ask. darkspawn had a way of making things difficult for those that had to deal with them. 

_-_

they heard the human king long before they saw him. he’d announced himself with a loud greeting to duncan; interrupting the wardens explanation of their plan to fight the oncoming hoard. the human king was a loud confident man Duran immediately found himself comparing to Behlen. unlike Behlen the king read like an open book. it was clear he viewed the darkspawn as an ordinary threat caring more for glory than the threat on his doorstep. he spoke like a child over eager to prove themselves at their first proving. Duncan in comparison seemed like a tired man who’d repeated the same argument far too many times. if cailen noticed he made no effort to make it known however. 

natia had left him to answer the kings inquiries. despite his irritation at her quick deflection he found himself oddly impressed. king cailen left as quickly as he came with lighthearted complaint about his general leaving them once more in the company of Duncan.

natia was the first to speak upon his exit. “soooo,” She drew out. “Bet it feels right up your alley to get a real royal welcome, huh Nugs.” Duran groaned. She was never going to stop with the royal jokes was she. “pity the human kings a royal idiot. Though that seems like a universal policy for politics.”

Duncan shot her a glare. “You would do well not to speak of him in that manner. He…”

“is actively seeking out trouble for the sake of glory. And on top of that he’s completely dismissing a real threat.” Natia cut him off. “Don't get me wrong he's nice. Real friendly. but I doubt the darkspawn want to make friends.” she sighed. “I have lived my entire life looking over my shoulder Duncan. Seeking out trouble is a fast path to the grave.”   
duncan sighed “you are not wrong. but you should not dismiss the king so readily Brosca.”

“a king is just a man duncan. that he regards the darkspawn as a light threat should be worrying” she paused glancing up at the tower standing sentry to the wilds. “he seems to think highly of you. is there nothing that can be said to make him take this threat more seriously?”

“i have done my best miss brosca. as it is I would prefer to wait for the rest of our allied forces. but it seems we are to do without.” duncan sighed parting their presence to attend to tasks that demanded his attention. he left them with instruction to seek out the warden alistair once they had familiarized themselves with the camp.

**Author's Note:**

> My first da fanfic. I'm actually kind of excited. Feel free to comment. Enjoy. 
> 
> More chapters to come.


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